Section — Konings, Theologia Moralis
§ III. On The Efficacy Of Contrition
1351. Principles. - I. Perfect contrition justifies man per se, even outside the Sacrament of Penance. 1° It is clear from reason; for contrition necessarily includes perfect charity: moreover, to love God perfectly is to be united with God; but union with God necessarily works separation from sin, since one cannot embrace one extreme without totally withdrawing from the opposite extreme. Therefore ... 2° It is clear from Scripture.2
II. Perfect contrition does not remit mortal sins, or does not justify man, except with the desire, at least implicit, of Confession: for sins cannot be remitted except through the means instituted by Christ; but the Sacrament of Penance in reality, or at least in desire, is the one means instituted by Christ for remitting sins committed after Baptism. Therefore, etc. It is clear besides from Trent.3
III. Attrition, as a prerequired disposition, suffices for obtaining pardon of sins in the Sacrament of Penance. This is clear from what was said n. 1350. q. 5°.
IV. But attrition outside the Sacrament cannot justify the sinner. For justification consists in the perfect union of man with God; but the attrite man, although he withdraws from creatures and begins the first steps of conversion to God, is nevertheless not yet perfectly converted to Him and united through love. Nor by its own power does attrition justify in the Sacrament, but it is only a prerequired condition; but the Sacrament itself justifies through the infusion of grace: wherefore in the Sacrament the penitent from an attrite man becomes contrite, namely contrite equivalently, or contrite by habit, through the infusion of sanctifying grace and the habit of charity, which is conferred by the force of absolution.
1352. Questions. - Query 1° Must the desire of Confession be EXPLICIT in contrition?
Resp. Negatively, more probably with the common opinion. The reason is, 1° because for remission it suffices that someone be truly united with God with his whole heart through perfect contrition; for God, as is clear from what has been said, cannot reject a sinner approaching Him with his whole heart and from the most perfect motive; but it can sometimes happen that a sinner elicits an act of perfect contrition without thinking of Confession, whether from inadvertence or natural forgetfulness, or from invincible ignorance. Therefore for the remission of sin through contrition it is not essential that the desire of Confession be explicit. 2° Because according to Trent this desire is included in contrition; but what is included in another is implicit, not explicit.1
Query 2° Does contrition remit not only guilt, but also the punishment owed to guilt?
Resp. 1° It certainly remits eternal punishment, because a man justified through contrition cannot remain guilty of eternal damnation.
Resp. 2° According to its greater or lesser intensity it also remits part of the temporal punishment owed after mortal or venial sins have been deleted. Hence very intense perfect contrition can even abolish all punishment; but it does not necessarily have this efficacy from its nature. - This is drawn from Trent.2
Query 3° Does attrition elicited by a just man remit venial sins outside the Sacrament?
Resp. It is controverted. More probably it seems to be affirmed. The reason is, 1° because from Trent venial sins can be remitted in various ways: therefore they are not remitted by perfect contrition alone; 2° because in the opposite opinion venial sins are not more easily remitted than mortal sins: but this is contrary to common sense; 3° because the power of remitting venial sins is commonly attributed to Sacramentals: but it would be falsely attributed to these, if contrition were required for deleting them. - Thus Suarez,3 Lugo,4 and many others.
Yet not a few deny it, because from Trent1 venial sins are usefully accused in Confession; but they would not be usefully accused if they could be remitted by attrition: therefore, etc. - But it is rightly replied that venial sins are usefully exposed in Confession also for other reasons, namely on account of remission of punishment, on account of the merit of shame, on account of the advantage of direction, etc.
Query 4° Does contrition or attrition remit venial sins without the desire of the Sacrament?
Resp. Affirmatively. The reason is that by divine institution the Sacrament is necessary for mortal sins alone: therefore venial sins can be deleted without the Sacrament of Penance; therefore no desire of this Sacrament is necessarily required for their remission. - Thus all.